


Minutes on the Clock Tower

by PapayaK



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24499330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PapayaK/pseuds/PapayaK
Summary: How did Juliet cope after her capture by Yin? This is part of it. Set sometime during "Romeo and Juliet and Juliet" (Post Shabigail, Pre-Shules)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	Minutes on the Clock Tower

Juliet sat on the roof of the clock tower. 

She sat on the floor, leaning against the wall that held the clock. Her knees were pulled up to her chin, her arms folded across her knees. She was wearing jeans and the biggest, softest sweater she owned. She rested her chin on her cozy sleeves and stared at the spot where she almost died.

As a cop, you’re trained for this. You know you will probably face death at some point or another. Juliet’s problem wasn’t the idea of her own mortality. She’d faced death a few times already. She’d been shot at more times than the average detective in her young career. But what had happened with Yin had been completely different than those experiences.

Those experiences gave her a rush of adrenaline during, and an almost overwhelming wave of relief after. She knew how to handle that. 

This had been different.

Being captured— so effortlessly— by Yin, had rocked her confidence. 

Then, waking up bound to a chair hanging off the edge of the tower, realizing her precarious situation, understanding just how utterly helpless she was…

There was the torturous conflict of wanting to be rid of the ropes that bound her while knowing they were the only thing keeping her on the chair and therefore alive…

Oh, the irony of hoping Yin had tied his knots well...

Staring down at the unforgiving pavement several stories below her…

And because she was Juliet, worrying about the damage her body might cause when she landed… 

And then being forced to endure that situation— for hours…

She’d had plenty of time to imagine every possible worst-case scenario.

She’d had plenty of time to think about the fact that her life was in Shawn Spencer’s hands.

She’d told him to save Abigail. And she didn’t regret doing it, but...

When she lay awake at night after yet another nightmare, she wondered how she could ever return to the career that had put her in that position. Especially considering the fact that Yin was still free.

It was sweet how Shawn and Gus, and Lassiter, and even the Chief had come to try and encourage her to come back to them. It really was.

She just didn’t know if she could.

oO0Oo

She heard the door open and she didn’t need to look up to see who it was.

She knew.

The scuffed tennis shoes and slightly rumpled jeans appeared in her peripheral vision and she confirmed it was Shawn who had found her. 

Who else would be able to divine where she was?

Who else would bother to look?

“Is this seat taken?” he asked. There was a gentleness in his voice she had only ever heard hints of previously.

When she didn’t answer, he lowered himself to sit next to her. He sat close enough that she could almost feel his warmth, but not quite close enough to touch. It wouldn’t take much to rest her head on his shoulder though…

She mentally braced herself. She expected him to start chattering away like he always did, like he had at City Hall, coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses, trying to convince her to see things his way...

He didn’t say anything.

They simply sat like that for a few minutes. 

The silent companionship and support was exactly what she needed. 

She felt some of her tension begin to fade. 

Finally, she was the one who broke the silence. She asked him, “How’s Abigail?”

Oddly, she felt him stiffen slightly, and they both realized there was a lot of unspoken communication between her innocent question and his silent reaction.

_I know I told you to save her, but I wanted you to save me..._ _  
_ _I wanted to save you, but then I realized that I_ **_could_ ** _save her..._ _  
_ _My life was in your hands. I was_ **_almost_ ** _sure I could trust you…_   
_I could never choose… I sent Gus..._ _  
_ I hate Yin for doing this to us…

“She’s gone.”

Then Juliet did look over at him. He was staring out at the sky through the railing. He was hurting. He would never admit it, never show it, but he was.

“Y’know what she said?” He asked wryly.

She turned her head toward him, laid her ear on her sleeve, and listened. She’d never heard this tone of voice from him before. Could this be the real Shawn?

He smiled ruefully and looked away, “She said I should call her if I ever decide to quit chasing psychopaths.” He swallowed.

_‘Wow.’_ Juliet thought to herself. _‘No wonder he’s hurting.’_ She spoke softly, “She doesn’t understand who you are.”

Shawn froze. Just for a millisecond, he was completely still. Then he turned his head to meet her eyes. 

She saw a slight brightness there, and a hint of a smile. 

_But you do_ — was the clear message in his gaze. _You and Gus_ — _you’re the only ones..._

He cleared his throat and changed the subject, “So whatcha doin’ up here?” He nudged her slightly with his elbow. “The view’s not that great.”

She scoffed, looking back at the spot where she's been tied, “Tell me about it.”

“I guess you had some time to admire it, huh?” And she clearly heard the regret— _the apology_ in his voice.

It would have been ridiculous for him to verbally apologize. They both knew her ordeal at the hands of Yin wasn’t his fault. 

And they both knew it was...

She looked over at him and smiled softly, absolution in her gaze.

He saw it. 

There was healing here— for both of them.

Then he grinned the trademark Shawn Spencer grin, “I’m supposed to meet Gus for lunch. He gets so cranky if he doesn’t eat on time.” He rose to his feet, “I don’t suppose you want to come along?” he held out a hand, his grin turned hopeful.

She nodded to herself, chin still on her arms, “I’m gonna hang out here a little longer.”

“Okay,” Shawn said, simply accepting. He turned to leave, “Don’t stay away _too_ long. We need you. Somebody’s got to keep Lassie in line. The Chief is trying but he’s such a handful and then _she_ gets cranky and then _everybody_ gets cranky and then my dad won’t hire us and then—”

“Shawn,” she interrupted.

He stopped and looked down at her, tilting his head hopefully.

She squinted up at him, as the sun was behind his shoulder, “Thank-you.”

He smiled, nodded, and patted the wall as he turned to the door. “No problem, Jules.” And he was gone.

She rested her chin on her cozy sleeves once more and smiled to herself.

Everything was not okay yet.

But it would be.


End file.
